Joe Biden, Doin' Work: Everglades Edition

Even when he flubs—and Biden almost always flubs—he seems to relish the retail events. Yesterday he visited the Florida Everglades, blue shirt billowing in the wind, in a baseball cap and aviators, hands on khakied hips, ostensibly to highlight the administration’s efforts to fund restoration projects for the Everglades. He called the Everglades the Ever-Gators. He teased a local businessman about alligator wrestling:

"I know Ronnie Bergeron is here," Biden said, referring to well known Everglades advocate and Florida businessman Ron Bergeron. "He tried to get me out there about 10 years ago. But he didn’t want me to go see it. He wanted me to wrestle alligators. Y’all think I’m kidding. I’m not kidding. He’s one crazy son of a gun." As the audience laughed, Biden continued his joke.
"You see this man right here? My Secret Service guy?" the vice president asked, referring to an agent just off stage.

"He said that if I go, he’ll shoot you, Ronnie. I’m only kidding. That’s not true. He didn’t say he’d shoot Ronnie. He said he’d shoot the alligator if I went."

Standing beside him were two Florida Democrats, Senator Bill Nelson, who’s gearing up for a tough reelection fight in November and Rep. Alcee Hastings, currently the subject of a lawsuit complaining he sexually harassed a former staffer (a claim he calls "completely false"). But this was classic Biden retail politics: dropping knowledge about a local with a charming anecdote and a touch of slightly inappropriate humor mid in.

This is better and funnier than Veep. And it’s one of the undeniable pleasures of the 2012 campaign: the chance to see our actual goofy, lovable veep out on the campaign trail, venturing into territory you can’t imagine Obama or Romney being comfortable in. The coverage in the local press was winning. "Saw grass, and gators, and birds by air boat," says a local news anchor covering the event. "Supporters and handshakes and pictures on land."

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